Tension device for coiling machines



R. SHEPHERD TENSION DEVICE FOR QOILING MACHINES June 19, 1928. 1,674,527

Filed Aug. 13, 1926 Z I J Inventor: Richard Shepherd,

His Attorney.

Patented June 19, 1928.

1,674,527 mum oF-HCE.

RICHARD sHEr HE'Rn, or EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS, Assreuon To GENERAL ELEC- mmo COMPAKYQA oonronzrrronor NEWYQRK.

' construction has the advantage that they TENSION DEVICE Eon com a. MACHINES.

Application filed- August -l3 l926, SeriaINQ. 129

The invention may be applied in general to apparatus in which awire is unwoundjir'om a rotatable spool, and where, in order to hold the wire taut,pre'cautions'mustibetaken 1 to prevent slippin or jerking of the spool;

due to the pull of the wire, which would result in slackening'the wire and the pro duction of irregularities inthe winding, In particular, this invention can-be applied to wire-spools in the winding-head of wire coiling machines, in which a winding wire is wound rounda continuously'moving mane drel' wire and in which it is of the utmost importance that the winding wfire beheld taut.

v In well-known devices o-t'tliis kind the wire spool is braked'by'supporting it in such a waythat hardened pivots are resiliently pressedinto corresponding bearings of the wire spool. In this way, suflicient friction" will appear in the ebea lngs to cause a uniform braking,ofthe'wire'spool.

In accordan'cefwith this invention," the wire spool is provided with devices for increasing the resistance: of the air torotation of the spool when the wire spool" rotates around its longitudinal axis. In addition to being a very simple arrangement, this braking is always very uniform, so'that the wire will never be subjected to an irregular or undesirable strain. I

In accordance with the invention, the devices on the wire spool are preferably constructed in the shape of vanes, although these devices may be given any other desired shape. f

As above mentioned, the invention can be applied particularly to wire .spools in the winding heads of wire coiling machines Such wire coiling machines have a rapldly rotating winding head provided with a spool or similar means to insure an uninterrupted supply of winding wire. As a rule, the construction is such that-the mandrel wire on which the winding wire is to be wound is supplied through a hollow shaft in the winding head, while a wire spool of winding wire is mounted on the winding head in such way that from it the winding wire ,oss', ;ma in the Netherlands-September 1a, 1925.

able. winding head for wire coilingmachines' v is provided with a wire spool so constructed that it meets a marked air resistanceas it rotates.

In one embodiment of the invention, a wire coiling machine is provided with a rotatable -winding head, on which a wire spool for the winding. wire is ,rotatably mounted, and s provided with vanes so disposedfias to" meet a certain air resistance When/the wire spool rotates. Such'an embo'diinent of the invention will be explained in detail by: referring'to attached drawings, inwhich Fig.1 is a side view of a wire coiling machine havinga winding head provided wth a wire spool braked by means of wings;' Fig.2 is an end view," on a larger scale, of the winding head shown in Fig.1, and Fig. 3 is aside view partly in section on the line 3-.3 of Fig. 20f thewinding. head. I Int-he attached drawings, the ceiling head is mounted on a bearing pedestal 1, and ;comprises a bushing 2 rigidly held in 'the pedestal a; set screw The bushing 2 fcont'ains roller bearings 4i and 5 'for' centeringa tubular"drive-shaft 6 of a winding head 7. Thewindingihead is rota-tedhy a pulley Smeunted 'o'nfthe end of the drive shaftand driven" by a motor not' shown in the drawing; The winding wire 10 is carried on the winding hea d 7 on a spool, and is conducted'over a wire guide 11 mounted on and rotatable with the head 7 to the mandrel wire 12 on which it is coiled as the winding head rotates. The mandrel wire 12-, which travels longitudinally and continuously, is guided through a perforated diamond 13, and is kept in motion by a mechanism not shown in the drawing, which draws it through the hollow shaft 6 of the winding head and thenthrough the perforated diamond 13 which centers it. The mandrelwire 12 with the windingwire 10 mounted on it then passes successively through a heating device 14 and ,a guide bushing 15 to a spool 16 on a pedestal 17 fixed by a set screw. 18 to the support 19.

In 'Figs 2 and 3, the winding head is shown on ,a larger scale. There, as shown, the winding head 7 has a hollow projecting hub 20,- on which rotates a holder prising a loose sleeve or bushing 21 having radial vanes 22 transverse to the plane of rotation of the bushing, and of such a size and shape that the resistance of the air to the movement of the vanes acts as a drag or brake to the rotation of the spool holder. The wire spool 23 can be mounted on and rotate with the sleeve 21 of the spool holder, being locked to it by a locking pin 24 which enters a corresponding hole 25 in the sleeve 21. The spool holder and spool rotate as a unit, so that the retarding effect of the vanes 22 is exerted on the spool. the vanes 22 may be attached directly to the spool with the same result.

The operation of the device is as follows: During the rotation of the winding head 7 the winding wire 10 will be wound in a helix or coil on the mandrel wire 12, which is moved along at a certain speed. During that winding process the winding wire 10 will be unwound from the spool 23, thereby causing the latter to rotate in the same direction as, but somewhat faster than the shaft 6, and also rotating the spool holder comprising the sleeve 21 with its vanes '22 through the pin 24. Owing to the special shape of these vanes they will meet a certain air resistance, which will apply a braking force to the rotating wire spool, keeping the winding wire 10 taut, and thereby preventing its slackening.

Further, when the winding head rotates at high speed, it isdesirable to install a counterweight 26 to balance the guide roller 11.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a wire coiling machine, the combination of a winding head comprising a rotatable tubular shaft having near one end a wire guide eccentric to and rotatable with If desired, 7

mounted on said shaft adjacent said guide" to rotate freely on said shaft and to overrun said shaft as the wire on said holder is drawn off the holder and through said guide during rotation of said shaft, said holder being shaped to have its rotation retarded by the air sufficiently to maintain a predetermined tension on the wire as it is drawn off the holder.

2. In a wire coiling machine the combination of a winding head comprising a retatable tubular shaft, a wire holder freely rotatable on said shaft and having transverse to the plane of rotation projecting vanes to cause the air to resist rotation of said holder with said shaft, a wire guide mounted on and eccentric to said shaft in registry with said holder, and means for passing a mandrel longitudinally through said shaft. 7

3. A. winding head for coiling machines comprising a rotatable tubular shaft having near one end awire guide eccentric to said shaft and a spool holder on said shaft in registry with said guide and comprising a hub freely rotatable on said shaft and having vanes extending radially from said hub and transversely of its plane of rotation to cause the air to resist rotation of said holder.

4. A spool holder for coiling machines comprising .a tubular hub constructed to carry a spool and provided with vanes which extend radially from said hub and have portions projecting parallel to the axis of the bore of said hub.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my handv this 19th day of July, 1926.

RICHARD SHEPHERD. 

